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Last week’s Panda shirt post already showed a sneak preview of my Morris Blazer, but now it’s finally time for its proper post. I’m amazed at how much I like it, because I normally dislike how blazers look on me. It was meant as a wearable muslin, and it certainly turned out wearable.

For this version, I used a stretch cotton sateen and cut a size 4 without any other modifications. The fit is very good, but I’d make the sleeves just a smidge wider in a next version. It is just a bit tight to get over a shirt right now.

The whole thing went together very smoothly. Only the sleeve cap gave me lots of grief because this fabric just did NOT want to ease at all. If you look closely, the sleeves are rather puckered, but it isn’t too noticeable in everyday wear. I’m definitely planning one or two more versions. Probably one in a bold colour with contrasting topstitching, or one in a print. Mainly, I want the next fabric to be less of a lint-magnet, because this one keeps ending up covered in all the dust in a 100 metre radius.

One of my main sewing missions for 2016 is finding the perfect button-up sewing pattern, and although this one is not that yet, it is pretty good! I love the straight silhouette, and the fact that it has no darts whatsoever. The fit throughout the body is great, but I do wish the sleeves were just a tad shorter and tighter, especially around the wrist. Those crinkles you see throughout the body are a combination of the shirt having been in my bag for a few hours, and the fact that it was very windy!

The process from fabric to shirt was rather slow. From October 2014 to July 2015, the fabric was waiting for the perfect pattern, and from July 2015 until last week this shirt was in a box, completely finished except for the buttonholes and buttons. I had been putting off the buttonholes for months because my machine isn’t always the best at them. Last week I had a sudden burst of finishing energy (at 11pm, of all times) and I am very glad I finally got it over with, because I’ve been wearing this shirt a lot since it’s been finished!

The original design has a pointed yoke and patch pockets, but I decided to not include those because I was too lazy to create perfectly matched panda-pockets. Perhaps there is another version in the future that will include those details, because they do look very cool.

Also, yes that is indeed a Morris Blazer in the second picture. I don’t often have a chance to take photos, so we decided to get that one photographed too. It does however deserve its own blog post, so that one will come later this week!

I went to visit a friend’s fresh baby this afternoon, so I can now finally show this adorable little cardigan. The knitting itself was done a long time ago, but of course I did not sew on any buttons until the very last minute. It’s moments like these that I am especially grateful for my big stash of random buttons.

The knitting for this was done months ago; I started it back in June when she first told me she was pregnant. According to her due date, the baby was supposed to share my birthday (New Year’s Eve), but I’m very happy for him that he decided to come one day earlier. Although believing the fireworks are for your birthday is great, it’s a rather inconvenient birthday otherwise.

The original pattern is for a cardigan, but I changed it into a sweater by joining the body in the round after I separated the sleeves. I knit the three buttonband stitches together with those on the other side, and then simply worked in stockinette until the hem. Overall this was a very easy, quick knit and it looks adorable with the three different buttons.

Behold! My first sewing FO in a long time that is actually wearable. I’ve worn it twice since I finished it last Wednesday, and I see a few more Paxson sweaters in the future. The fabric is also lovely, even though it seems to be mostly synthetic. It’s a thin knit that is slightly heathered. It reminds me of those stylish men’s sweaters, which I can never find in a size small enough for me. They had the same fabric in dark red, petrol and brown, so I might go back for another colour. I used only 1,5 metres (at 150cm wide) instead of the 2 metres that the pattern stated.

However, the total process was much longer than the 1 hour it states on the website. My time spent was something more like this:

Cutting, taping and tracing the printed pattern: 1 hour

Cutting the actual fabric: 0,5 hour

Fighting with my serger: 1,5 hours

Actually sewing: 1,5 hours

Usually, most of my problems with any sewing machines are fixed by simply changing the needle, so I thought to be proactive and change out my serger needles before even beginning. After 1,5 hours of swearing at the machine – or as I referred to it by that point “piece of junk” – I decided in a fit of desperation to switch back to the old needles, and guess what: apparently the new needles were not exactly the correct type.

Anyway, once I got everything to work the actual sewing was fast and painless. I made a size S without any adjustments, and I’m very pleased with the fit. The only change I will make to any future versions is to lengthen the sleeves by approximately 2 cm because they are just a bit on the short side.

Overall verdict: Lovely sweater that will get a lot of wear! It was the perfect choice to get back into sewing.

Up next: Wearable muslin for the Grainline Studios Morris Blazer in a black stretch cotton.

Yesterday I realised that coming Friday will be my very last day at my internship school and that I really wanted to make a little something for my supervisor, who has helped me a lot throughout the semester. I almost hesitate to call this a proper FO because it is so little and was so quick, but it’s an object and it’s finished so I guess it qualifies.

I used this tutorial, which is really great because it shows you how to nicely cover the zipper ends. I’m kind of amazed at how this is considered a perfect first sewing project, because somehow I found it kind of tricky to get everything neat. My machine had quite a bit of trouble with all the layers, but in the end it worked out decently.

The fabric is a quilting cotton by Laurie Wisbrun, whose name always makes me think of Lawrence Fishburne, which in turn kind of makes me hope that he has a line of quilting fabrics that he designs under a pseudonym… Anyway, I used some lightweight fusible interfacing to give it all a bit more firmness and lined the pouch with a light grey cotton.

Nothing exciting to tell about this one, really. Hopefully in the weekend I’ll have time for a more elaborate progress post on my Hawthorn, because in between attempts at writing it is coming along quite a bit.

For this initial version I cut a straight size 2 and put it together without any alterations. I did a quick fitting of the bodice before attaching the collar and everything, but it seemed to be quite fine. I’m pretty happy with the result. It’s an adorable little blouse that went together without any real problems. On the photos it seems to pull a little bit in the back, but that’s probably just how I’m standing.

The only thing that I have a problem with has everything to do with me and absolutely nothing with the pattern: I don’t know how to wear it. I’m so used to wearing my shirts tucked into high-waisted skirts, that this new silhouette looks really weird to me. For these quick photos I’ve matched it with a red pencil skirt, which looks nice, but somehow I have the feeling that I look a bit dowdy and matronly (which I know is probably just my perception). I will start wearing it though, because I’m sure it will grow on me when I combine it in different ways.

(Please ignore my “straight-out-of-the-shower” face and hair, the sky was getting very cloudy and I don’t think there would’ve been much more light left later).

Anyway, I am reconsidering my coral/white dotted fabric for this one. If I already find this version a bit too girly and dainty, I’m sure that will just be too much. I am going to make a black sleeveless dress version though, because I do really like this pattern.